Report on the Eleventh International Life Line Rainbow Convention

There's a weighty title if ever there was. It was an impressive conference all round and in wearing a reporter's hat (as opposed to my usual Talking Training hat), I hope to convey some of the excitement to you before it all becomes a distant memory.

Let me begin with an expression of my gratitude for having been able to attend the conference and explain that my role was to produce a daily newsletter for conference delegates - sort of telling people what they had just experienced. If that seems a little odd, well I wasn't about to argue with such a privilege - especially not at the price.

Overall impression - lots and lots of foreigners and far too few locals. So yes, it was expensive, which obviously impacted on local participation. It was great to reconnect with other Life Liners from around the country who were here by the score, and also good to find that despite language difficulties, (somehow I've never mastered Japanese or Korean), there was a strong sense of mutual recognition. It's literally awesome to reflect on the global impact that Life Line has and we should be aware occasionally of the millions whose lives have been touched by this amazing organisation.

Most South African members will have seen the programme, and it was as full as it sounds. The venue was the Arthurs Seat Hotel in Sea Point which could not be faulted, either as a venue or in terms of its setting. The speakers were impressive, the workshops many, varied and valuable, the Outreach tour boggled locals and tourists alike and oh yes, the food was pretty good too. So - an undisputed 10/10 to the organisers and the team that ensured an apparently smooth event. If there were hitches, they were not visible.

In this report I shall deal with the "big" picture first, those happenings that involved everyone and thereafter with those of the workshops on which I am able to report either from personal experience or through receipt of a summary from the designated scribe. Sadly I do not have all the latter feedback and so we will have to go through the years wondering about some of the workshops, or finding some lucky person who did attend.

Wednesday afternoon was devoted to the Annual General Meeting of Life Line South Africa, at which each region gave it's report. Those of us who were hosting out of town people collected our guests after tea and departed to do our own thing for the evening.

Thursday 4 November

Delegates gathering for early morning coffee after registration were welcomed into the vast sun-filled room, by a frenetic fiddler giving a spirited rendition of “I got rhythm". This was followed by the throbbing of an African drum, calling the multitude to the main hall for the opening ceremony.

UCT's College of Music choir gave voice to a version of Shosholza, which had us clapping along enthusiastically, followed by a number of folk songs. Peter Fox's opening meditation harnessed the energy and brought us back to an inner connection with self and others.

South Africa's Rudyard Harrison, as International President led the signing of the visitors' book, followed by the Life Line Presidents of all the other countries represented. As each one signed, the flag of their country was unfurled and hung up as part of a backdrop to the main platform. This was an alphabetic process and the following countries had the number of delegates indicated in brackets. Australia (20), Canada (5), Japan (29), Korea (16), Namibia (12), New Zealand (5), Taiwan (14), and finally the United States of America (18). Colin Andrews as a former life line International President was a particularly masterful Master of Ceremonies and followed the signing ceremony by inviting everyone to indulge in a group hug! Nice to know some things never change.

The Keynote address by Professor Charles Villa-Vicencio was on the significance of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee and highlighted many of the issues South Africans grapple with as we seek to come to terms with the past. Did you know that there were twenty two thousand people who volunteered to tell their story to the TRC? This report cannot begin to do justice to an address that was as moving and uncomfortable as it was thought provoking and heart-rending. Professor Villa-Vicencio concluded by saying that he thought the best method for healing was compassion, understanding and support and that the jury was still out on what we had learned from the experience. Unless South Africa's experiment in healing (the TRC) reaches not only the victims and survivors, but also the hardened hearts of the perpetrators as well as benefactors it would have been in vain. Powerful stuff indeed!

This address was followed by lunch, which to my great regret I had to miss, as there were "things to be done". It (the lunch) looked wonderful!

The afternoon provided the first series of Workshops, all of which wore held in smaller breakaway rooms. With a selection of six running simultaneously, choices wore difficult and more than one bemused delegate could be seen wandering around muttering in strange sounding tongues. I shall refrain from bursting into enthusiastic comment here - but it's not easy.

Tea at 16h00. This doesn't begin to describe the cornucopia of gastronomic and visual delights that awaited the mentally and emotionally satisfied delegates and short work was made of devouring everything in sight.

The next event at 18h00 was most inappropriately described as a Finger supper. Ha! Nobody has that many delicious fingers. The room had been transformed into a mass of round tables seating about a dozen delegates. Each country had a two-fold task, the first to give a no more than 2-minute report on their

highlights of the past year, and more importantly to entertain the crowd with an impromptu concert. Some delegates had gone to enormous trouble with their presentation, dressing up beautifully in their national costume.

Our own Lisa Chait of 567 radio acted as co-ordinator of this event - (I'm sorry I can't refer to anyone so female as Master of ceremony, and the alternative is unthinkable). I hope she will not mind if I share my favourite moment of the evening. I think it was the Canadian or perhaps the New Zealand delegates, a quartet or quintet who apologising in advance for their singing, subjected us to an enthusiastic if somewhat tuneless version of a popular song, only to be rewarded by Lisa saying comfortingly as they left the stage, "Well, there, it wasn't that bad”.

Each country's presentation was preceded by the playing of the National Anthem, at which we all stood to a respectful attention - which became a little more difficult each time as the evening progressed. And on the topic of anthems I'll say no more. The apology was fulsome, heartfelt and frequent and nobody actually left.

Thus ended the first full day.

Friday 5 November

The day started early with the registration of day delegates, coffee in the same room filled with the same glorious sunlight and view of the sparkling sea. The flavour was distinctly local, with a traditional "Coon Carnival" group that prompted much spontaneous jiving among the delegates.

Rabbi Stoinhorn conducted the morning devotion around the theme of redemption. He said that it is in the act of communication that we gain our human status and that Life Line captured the essence of redemption and salvation in helping individuals to move from the periphery to the centre of their history. (My paraphrasing).

In the absence due to illness of Dr Beyers Naude, Rudyard Harrison presented the Dr Alan Walker lecture, opening with a tribute to Dr Naude. He appealed for Life Line to focus on inclusivity, openness and holism, stressing the need for spirituality to be more broadly defined, "unconfined by fundamentalism in any form". He spoke of a need for openness to truth, beauty and everything that encourages growth towards greater awareness, stating that we cannot be congruent if we retain a concept of spirituality that is specifically religious. He noted that most Life Liners joined the organisation to help others and that this should include others within the movement. He invited us to critically reflect on our relations with others so that we move into the new millennium showing caring and compassion not only to callers but to each other.

After tea, delegates prepared for the Tour of Life Line Centres, an experience as new for most locals as it was for the tourists. Two 60-seater buses were full, as was the Thonell's combi - urgently pressed into unexpected duty. After a scene which was worthy of being filmed, box-lunches, packed for some 150 hungry people, being conveyed down a steep ramp on a multilayered trolley, with a respected member of the Western Cape Exec., face red with beat and exertion, reversing down the said ramp, trying desperately to prevent a runaway disaster, the convoy set off.

The buses went to Bishop Lavis and Khayelitsba where they were met by a group of local counsellors, spruced and beautiful and waiting to show their work as recorded in photographs. Bishop Lavis had a choir to entertain visitors, and Khayelitsba a range of events including talks by Gabby Carter on Childline and Angela Rackstraw on Art Therapy. It was all most impressive and the major problem was in finding the other (third) bus, ordered by the Koreans to meet them in Khayelitsha!

Friday night was the Convention Banquet, held at Kelvin Grove. Life Liners showed that they know how to party! Song, dance and an impromptu conga line weaving through the tables. It is probably safe to say a good time was had by all.

Saturday 6 November

Regrettably (or fortunately depending on how much detail you prefer), I'm not able to report on the early devotions and notices as I was ensconced in my office producing the daily newsletter. The morning was taken up with workshops, about which more later. The International AGM took place in the early afternoon and here too the scribe is apologetic. No notes were taken, but it is appropriate for South African Life liners to take pride in Sue Thonell and to wish her our full support in her new role as Executive Director of Life Line International. Her address was given with the warmth and wisdom we associate with this amazing lady, who was resplendent in an Ndebele blanket for the occasion.

Sunday 7 November

Rhodes Memorial with the steps draped with a red carpet, provided a spectacular backdrop for the closing ceremony. Operating from the old timetable, I missed the Worship Service and arrived in time to watch the closing ceremony. Each country was represented by their Life Line president who in turn came down the carpet and stood, carrying their national flag. It was a very moving experience, providing much in the way of photo-opportunities. Multiple hugging scenes took place all around as people said their farewells and drove off into the noonday sun.

It had been a rich and rewarding experience and if their were hundreds of South African Life Liners who were unable to afford the fees, it is certain that those who did attend got their money's worth - particularly if the currency was foreign.

WORKSHOPS

With no less than eighteen workshops to choose from delegates had a hard time selecting one out of each six available in each workshop two hour time slot. While there was a designated scribe at each one, not all reports are available to me at this time. So here's the low-down on those to hand.

The African Experience : Presented by Marc Feitelberg & Marc Kahn.

This was an experiential journey through music, helping people to find their "voice" and celebrate a unique harmony involving the whole self. There was an opportunity to create a message to self through the medium of clay, and communicating with others with hands, heart and eyes - transcending the need for language. The experience is described as "awesome and a special privilege to have been a part of”.

(Thank you Brenda Wilson).

The Wilderness as a metaphor for the unconscious : lan McCullum.

lan's vision is all encompassing and he contextualised his presentation in terms of two hundred and twenty five years of earth's existence. There was something very compelling about watching and listening to a man personify the natural and instinctive qualities of creatures of the wild. To recognise in those behaviour patterns our own habitual responses created a strong sense of wholeness and belonging. While man has emerged out of the wilderness, clearly the wilderness has not entirely left man. Moreover it is this retention of instinct that is our saving grace. Our destruction of nature and the environment is the greatest danger. This was a profoundly moving experience and one that is difficult to reduce meaningfully to a short report

Drumming : Brett Schlesinger

The reporter says "The drumming experience was absolutely wonderful. Brett, Kelly & Sandy got everyone going in an easy relaxing way. Their show & do method worked fantastically and our international guests had no difficultly with communication as almost the whole workshop was conducted by non-verbal and body language. The amount of rhythmic music that we produced was astounding, and stress levels just seem to drum away. We discovered that drumming is not for wimps with soft hands! This workshop gave a whole new meaning to the adage of "everybody walks to the beat of a different drum". Definitely a workshop not to have been missed.

(Thank you Anne, LL Rustenberg).

As a personal aside, having been in the next door room, I'd say they seemed to be marching to the same beat by the end of the session.

The management of stress and suicidal behaviour : Lourens Schlebusch

Lourens Schlebusch demonstrated his professionalism and expertise in a most informative and interactive workshop. Stress is the 'inability to cope with change' which impacts psychologically, physically and in terms of behaviour. He emphasised that most people do not want to die, but want to put an end to the psychological pain they experience. He gave valuable input on behavioural patterns assisting identification of potential suicide attempts and the importance of taking any threat seriously.

He took participants through a model of how to manage suicidal behaviour that helps to change the persons perceptions and how they interpret their problem. The role of the counsellor is to enable the individual to change their perception which results in a change in their thinking, the way they feel and ultimately their behaviour.

(Thank you Colin, LL W.Cape).

Working with children : Julia Zingu

This was a hands-on participative workshop that was well presented and received. Flash cards on stick-on boards focussed on; expectations of the workshop; what issues and challenges are being dealt with; successful practices implemented; and, the way forward. Each centre will receive a report on the workshop.

(Thank you Val James, LL W Cape)